What is meditation?
What is Shastra? Inspired by a willingness to move beyond suffering to peace and the Devi Suktam
Sastra or Shastra "that which has been instructed/decreed" is a word from Sanscript, an ancient language that was developed for the study of man's divine nature. Shastra is commonly used to describe what the westerner would refer to as Holy scripture. In the context of this article we will focus on Shastra as meaning Holy Scripture.
We will explore a particular scripture know as the Devi Suktam which is written and spoken in Sanscript. The Devi Suktam is a part of the larger Shastra, the Devi Mahatyam or Glory of the Goddess.
The world can seem like a chaotic dark place when you are wrapped up in emotions, desires, and dislikes. This can not be the meaning of life! There is a deep yearning for Peace. So how do we get from dark chaos to Peace? What is a solution to this dilemma? There may be different ways as many as there are beings searching for this solution. That makes quite allot! But the goal is always Peace! That remains unchanged since time immemorial...you could replace the name Peace with happiness, fulfillment, success, Love, Santosa (contentment), enlightenment, etc. As many beings as there are there are as many names for this end goal perhas but something powerful unites them all continually drawing us together with all being through the drama of life. It is and it is not, when you know YOU KNOW! Without doubt. Until then we are trying to make sense of this great ocean of multiplicity.
The Devi Mahatyam offers us a way to see all this multiplicity as one, flowing from one source, the Devi. Who is the Devi? The mother of all beings from what I have learned. I have not spent as much time with the Devi as I have Hanuman, so I am not an expert...then again as the mother of all, Hanuman comes from the Devi, so to know Hanuman is to know his mother, the Devi. I do know Hanuman reveres his mother greatly! I have listened to the Devi Mahatyam in English quite a few times from a narration on youtube from a source that seems credible to me. I will include a link below. It is quite a tale, a cosmic struggle of epic proportions filled with beautiful goddesses, terrifying demons, and terrifying goddesses! Through this drama we are lead to the the Devi again and again. It is all within you and me and all around us, the Maha (Great) Devi, Shri Durga Mata, Holy Mother Durga, liberator of the virtuous and destroyer of the wicked.
The Devi Mahatyam, if studied thoroughly with sincerity and devotion will reveal the meaning of life as Her story is our story, promises the Devi. My study so far has moved me into a greater place of love and acceptance for all being, all states of the journey that we all find our minds going through at one time or another. This leads me to my concentration in my Devi study, the Devi Suktam. This is a song composed to beseech the Devi protection, to vanquish an evil demon who threatens the gods very existence. Interestingly the gods are not outside of ourselves in some lofty heavens in the sky but representatives of peaceful states in various sensual components in the human being. In meditation we try to control the senses so we might have a Peaceful mind. What is disrupting Peace? The demons representing the agitated state of the senses. I invite you to reflect on your experience in this and all inquiries into the nature of our journey my friend :) I have experienced in my own practice that if recited regularly even the Devi Suktam, a component of the much larger Devi Mahatyam, can restore the gods or Peace to a mind from the troubling demons or agitation.
I feel the Devi Suktam is the cream of the Devi Mahatyam. It is fairly long in itself, identifying the Devi as the true nature of 21 characteristics in all beings that manifest throughout the course of time. I believe Peace arises for me as I feel the flow from state to state but realize they are all coming from the same source, unified though they seem separate, this knowledge quiets the turbulence of the my mind. I am no longer very concerned about the answer to where something came from, or how it should be addressed. Whether it is hunger or a sense of separation from identifying with a particular group, everything is Divine, I am one with the Divine, and it is my True nature to treat all life as the Divine, as the Devi, as my True Self. This is the only way to restore Peace, the gods do not fight in the Devi Mahatyam, but surrender their light to the Devi, where their light Truly resides, and in so doing, the Devi, without challenge, defeats all the demons, who are merely reflection of Her light, just as the gods are.
From the Sivananda Chant Book Devi Mahatmyam Chapter 5 (prayer 3), slokas 12-32
1)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu vishnu-mayeti samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha Salutations to the Goddess, who among all the created is considered as Maya, illusory power of Lord Vishnu. Salutations to Her. Salutations to Her. Salutations to Her. Salutations. Salutations.
2)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu cetanetyabhidhiyate Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who among all the created is known as consciousness...
3)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu buddhi-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who among all the created is known as intellect...
4)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu nidra-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who among all the created is in the form of sleep...
5)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu kshudha-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of hunger in every being...
6)Ya devi-sarva bhuteshu chaya-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyi namo namaha ...who is the shadow of every being...
7)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu shakti-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of energy in every being...
8)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu trishna-rupena samsthita Namastasya namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of thirst in every being...
9)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu kshanti-rupena samsthita Namastasyi namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of patience in every being...
10)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu jati-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of race in every being...
11)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu lajja-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyi namo namaha ...who is in the form of modesty in every being...
12)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu shanti-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of peace in every being...
13)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu shraddha-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of faith in every being...
14)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu kanti-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah ...who is in the form of brilliance in every being...
15)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu lakshmi-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of prosperity in every being...
16)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu vritti-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of livelihood(profession) in every being...
17)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu smriti-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of memory in every being...
18)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu daya-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of mercy in every being...
19)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu tushti-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of contentment in every being...
20)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu matru-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of mother in every being...
21)Ya devi sarva-bhuteshu bhranti-rupena samsthita Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaha ...who is in the form of confusion in every being...
We may or may not subscribe to God as the Devi, but that is not the highest reason for the Devi Mahatyam, it is an invitation to seek God beyond all shapes and forms. The Devi is a form of the highest god that we can talk about with words, go beyond names and form to the Truth. The Devi Mahatyam may serve us till we are ready for the Truth. If the Devi Mahatyam interest you, my friend, I invite you to spend some time with the Devi, start with the Devi Suktam included here if you would like, and see where it takes you :-) Happy studies my friend. Next time I will be offering you another scripture that is very dear to me, the Song of Will.
This is a beautiful recording of the Devi Suktam form Saashwathi Prabhu. Thank you Saashwathi Prabhu and Geethanjali Music and Chants :-)
This is another beautiful recording of the Devi Suktam with a lala bye feeling form Nova Spiritual India. Thank you Nova Spiritual India :-)
This is a recording from Know Thyself of the Devi Mahatyam in English from a book by Dr. Satya Prakash Choudhary. It is a very in depth exploration of the Devi Mahatyam including methods of practice, English translation of the story, and in depth analysis of the incredible symbolism of the Devi Mahatyam. Thank you Know Thyself and Dr. Satya Prakash Choudhary :-)